Hudson PTO recognizes student scholarship recipients

Hudson -- The Hudson Parent Teacher Organization May 8 recognized five Hudson High School scholarship winners from among 60 applications at the Lake Forest Country Club.

Students of the PTO Scholarship award will receive $1,000 each for their continuing education. Winners were Michael Gaffney, Katie Maggio, Natalie Stiles, Jillian Saccogna and Heather Neifert.

Michael Gaffney is a member of the Hudson Schools 13 Year club, National Honors Society and helped to produce the Hudson High School lip dub video. He played for the Hudson hockey team all four years of high school and served as captain in his senior year. Michael is an active member of the Life Teen Program where he has contributed as a camp counselor, retreat planner and Eucharistic Minister. In the fall he will attend The Ohio State University in the scholars program.

Katie Maggio has played softball and soccer all four years of high school and is a NE Ohio Scholar Athlete. She is a member of the National Honor Society, Key Club and an active member of the Life Teen Program at St. Mary's Church. She volunteers at the Harbor Light Hospice and as a teacher's aide with Teens Helping Teachers. She has been a youth soccer referee for six years. Next year she will attend the University of Cincinnati where she will be in the Honors Program, majoring in nursing.

Natalie Stiles runs for the cross country and track teams, serves as a HUDDLE mentor and participates in the National Honor and Art Honor Societies at Hudson High School. She has earned several awards for her artwork as well as STEM team research projects. Involvement in St. Mary's Life Teen program and volunteering at University Hospital has been rewarding to her throughout the past four years. After 12 years in Hudson schools, Natalie will be moving onto The Ohio State University where she is enrolled in the Mount Leadership Scholars Program as a biochemistry major and studio arts minor.

Jillian Saccogna has been a member of the National Honors Society, French Honor Society, Gay-Straight Alliance and track and cross-country teams. During her swimming career she has been the girls team co-captain and Ray Hyser recipient. She will contine her swimming career as a Fighting Scot at the College of Wooster. She hopes to pursue a major in psychology with the aim of becoming a counselor.

Heather Neifert is ranked fourth in her class of 347 and is a National Merit Scholarship Finalist, an AP Scholar with distinction and member of the New Dimensions program at Hudson High School. She is a passionate violinist and is in her ninth year in Hudson school orchestras. She has a second degree black belt in Taekwondo and was a member of Hudson Middle School's Power of the Pen. This fall Heather will attend the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia as a University Scholar and prospective cognitive science major.